Notes Payable and Long-Term Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2013

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Short-term Debt [Table Text Block]

	Weighted-average Interest Rate
	2013	2012	2013		2012
			(Dollars in thousands)
Notes payable (a)	2.00%	2.58%	$	521,864	$	269,783
CHS Capital notes payable (b)	1.23%	1.68%	367,448		533,839
Total notes payable			$	889,312	$	803,622

Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments

Long-term debt as of August 31, 2013 and 2012 consisted of the following:

	2013		2012
	(Dollars in thousands)
5.59% unsecured revolving term loans from cooperative and other banks, due in equal installments beginning in 2013 through 2018	$	135,000	$	150,000
6.18% unsecured notes $400 million face amount, due in equal installments beginning in 2014 through 2018	400,000		400,000
6.81% unsecured notes $225 million face amount, due in equal installments beginning in 1998 through 2013			37,500
5.60% unsecured notes $60 million face amount, due in equal installments beginning in 2012 through 2018	41,539		59,615
5.25% unsecured notes $125 million face amount, due in equal installments beginning in 2011 through 2015	50,000		75,000
5.78% unsecured notes $50 million face amount, due in equal installments beginning in 2014 through 2018	50,000		50,000
4.00% unsecured notes $100 million face amount, due in equal installments beginning in 2017 through 2021	100,000		100,000
4.08% unsecured notes $130 million face amount, due in 2019	130,000		130,000
4.52% unsecured notes $160 million face amount, due in 2021	160,000		160,000
4.67% unsecured notes $130 million face amount, due in 2023	130,000		130,000
3.85% unsecured notes $80 million face amount, due in 2025	80,000
3.80% unsecured notes $100 million face amount, due in 2025	100,000
4.82% unsecured notes $80 million face amount, due in 2026	80,000		80,000
4.71% unsecured notes $100 million face amount, due in 2033	100,000
Other notes and contracts with interest rates from 2.25% to 15.75% (a)	50,493		68,238
Total long-term debt	1,607,032		1,440,353
Less current portion	156,612		108,211
Long-term portion	$	1,450,420	$	1,332,142

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(a) Other notes and contracts payable of $16.5 million were collateralized on August 31, 2013.

Schedule of Maturities of Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt outstanding as of August 31, 2013 has aggregate maturities as follows:

	(Dollars in thousands)
2014	$	156,612
2015	164,022
2016	130,219
2017	149,832
2018	162,103
Thereafter	844,244
	$	1,607,032

Schedule of Interest,Net

Interest, net for the years ended August 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was as follows:

	2013			2012			2011
	(Dollars in thousands)
Interest expense	$	99,271		$	94,090		$	83,044
Interest - purchase of NCRA noncontrolling interests	149,087			113,184
Capitalized interest	(10,579		)	(8,882		)	(5,487		)
Interest income	(6,212		)	(5,129		)	(2,722		)
Interest, net	$	231,567		$	193,263		$	74,835